Blue smoke

[Fozzy]

Working on the ph1 dturbo i have noticed that when it startes there is a puff of blue smoke, not white. but is fine on idle. Until revved again and then kicks out some more blue smoke.

Bought the car cheap, has been off road for a year, although i know the guy drove it about half a mile to work every so often. iChecked the dipstick and there seems that the car has been overfilled by about 5mm.

When driving the car the blue smoke isn't noticeable. And it doesn't overheat. Drives as normal (according to emma, i never drove it)

The car is running on a lucus pump and kkk turbo, and there does seem to be an oil leek from the sump. Havn't got a clue about the history of the car apart from its had an engine change in its life time from a ph2.

What could be the cause for it to burn oil/blue?

Thanks for any help.

[4WayDiablo]

iChecked the dipstick

Checking your oil levels?

There's an app for that!




Haha as for the smoke issue. The startup would suggest stem seals but giving it a rev maybe the piston rings. If its not scraping all the oil back? Dunno

[Ricky]

I would change the turbo

[Fozzy]

Yeah there's and app for everything

What do you mean scraping the oil back. Is sounds like the easy option is to drop another engine in it if its either of them. Bollox.

Anything else simple it could be?

Edit: If its turbo burning the oil, does that mean seals are shot, i think ive seen a turbo up for sale quite cheap on the site somewhere

[samass]

might just be over filled, engines have a max on the dipstick for a reason. id give it a service, put the right amount back in, then go from there

[Toms306]

The turbo won't burn oil, you get part burnt oil if the turbo seals blow which is white smoke (incomplete combustion!). Unless its the intake side thats gone....but thats easy to check by taking off the lowest intake pipe and seeing if its full of oil.

Chances are its just over filled, drain and refill it and go from there.

[4WayDiablo]

The turbo won't burn oil, you get part burnt oil if the turbo seals blow which is white smoke (incomplete combustion!).

Chances are its just over filled, drain and refill it and go from there.

Not entirely true tom. My turbo went and it was very blue smoke
My exhaust that was filled with oil burned blue for a while after replacing turbo

[Toms306]

The turbo won't burn oil, you get part burnt oil if the turbo seals blow which is white smoke (incomplete combustion!).

Chances are its just over filled, drain and refill it and go from there.

Not entirely true tom. My turbo went and it was very blue smoke
My exhaust that was filled with oil burned blue for a while after replacing turbo

See the edit.

Your exhaust would have had to get bloody hot to properly burn that oil........I'd imagine it was coming from somewhere other than there tbh.

[Dave]

To cause damage to these engines you need to seriously overfill them, im talking like double what you normally put in them, 5mm is like a piss in the sea. Could be either your turbo or your stem seals as many people have said. Take off your intake pipe onto IC and rev it, see if it chucks any splats of oil out, that will tell you if its compressor side of turbo. After running it like that (with intake pipe off for like 10 mins) stop the car and leave it overnight. Start it the next day and if it smokes from the word go it will be your stem seals. If not then its only burning oil when your exhaust mani/exhaust gets upto temp and leaking oil from the hotside of the turbo. Thats how I would go about checking it anyway.

[Fozzy]

Ok thanks everyone, got lots to go on now. Kinda hoping its the turbo that way i can find something better to replace it with.

[n0v0s]

To cause damage to these engines you need to seriously overfill them, im talking like double what you normally put in them, 5mm is like a piss in the sea.

Even a few thousand miles on gearbox oil won't kill them! hock: (mind it was only 500ml) Cheap degreasing ftw!

[Dave]

ha I got dangerously low on oil once, and just pulled the tank return, stuck down dipstick breather and filled the sump with some veg.

[Poodle]

Nice, Dave!

Doesn't sound like much to worry about Foz, maybe turbo seals steadily dying. Whatever it is, i'd ignore it until it gets worse (ie easier to trace).

[Fozzy]

Im assuming MOT stations aren't bothered about oil burning, they just test for black smoke.

[Poodle]

That's it.

[Ricky]

when my turbo was going the smoke was thick blue and stunk of oil. still boosted ok though. it used to smoke on idle when warm and when accelerating

[darrenjlobb]

ha I got dangerously low on oil once, and just pulled the tank return, stuck down dipstick breather and filled the sump with some veg.

Lol Dave I love you, your brain literally works on exactly the same mindset as mine

[n0v0s]

Dave!



Fkin ledgend!

Stick bit of diesel in the sump, clean tha shit out!

[Ruan]

I'd guess more at valve stem seals...

Turbos don't tend to blow blue unless they're on their LAST legs... And it's usually after a hard pull, you lift off and you'll get the signature blue haze out the back... Could be slight ring passing - easiest way to check that is to take the lid off the oil filler, see how much gas comes out - if it's like another exhaust and it STINKS of exhaust fumes... If it just smells a bit oily/dieselly that's normal, but if it's literally chuffing out exhaust gas, it's rings...

[Fozzy]

I think the engine is fooked disconnected the Intercooler and ran it still kicking out blue, and theres no oil coming out the turbo compressor, although it does seem to be caked in oil/grease crap and the turbo outlet. Another thing i noticed was it seems to be getting hot quite quickly yet the temp gauge doesn't show any movement part from the little movement as it starts.

It also seems to miss fire every so often resulting in a small puff of blue smoke. Any other ideas?

[karl1989]

I think the engine is fooked disconnected the Intercooler and ran it still kicking out blue, and theres no oil coming out the turbo compressor, although it does seem to be caked in oil/grease crap and the turbo outlet. Another thing i noticed was it seems to be getting hot quite quickly yet the temp gauge doesn't show any movement part from the little movement as it starts.

It also seems to miss fire every so often resulting in a small puff of blue smoke. Any other ideas?

when on tick over does it tick over fine then all of a sudden cough abit of smoke out?

[Fozzy]

It has very slight smoke when idling then it will cough a bit of smoke out just as you said.......

[karl1989]

i had this problem. start the car and unscrew the cold idle so the tick over rises this should stop it. if so then all i did was change the injectors and clean the filter in the lift pump under the rear seat. hope this helps.

[Ruan]

In fairness, could be a naff injector, they can blow blue when you've got dodgy injectors...

Also make sure the breathers are clear and actually going into the turbo intake... I accidentally kinked one, and it blowed blue constantly...

[Fozzy]

Will look into that thanks Karl


Ruan:Not sure what the turbo intake has covering it:



My dad did suggest naff injector but i didn't think that would blow blue.

[karl1989]

try the cold start screw that should stop it mate

[Fozzy]

will that stop the blue smoke when accelerating as well? just wanna know all possibilities before completely writing it off

[Ruan]

CV Grease?!?!?!

And no, it won't stop it whilst running, the missing at idle it might stop...

Injectors can blow blue if they're absolutely f*cked...

[Fozzy]

I thought CV at first but they all looked ok and clean, plus its not coating anything else, as would have to be the inner boot to get it there. This car really is a mystery .

[karl1989]

will that stop the blue smoke when accelerating as well? just wanna know all possibilities before completely writing it off

it did with mine. like i say just start it up and screw it out and the revs with increase then just check whats its like. give it a few revs. mine use to be ok then just loose power then kick in again. was wierd.